Coordination chemistry of Re complexes with 2(2′-pyridyl)benzimidazole

Two new Re(III) and Re(IV) complexes with 2(2′-pyridyl)benzimidazole (pbimz) were prepared and their crystal and molecular structures established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Reaction of [ReOCl₂(OEt)(PPh₃)₂] with the ligand gave red cis(Cl),trans(P)-[ReCl₂(PPh₃)₂(pbimz)]Cl (1), while red [ReCl₄(pbimz)] · OPPh₃ (2) was obtained from [ReCl₃(PhC(O)C(O)Ph)(PPh₃)] and pbimz in the presence of perchlorate. The compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, FAB-MS, UV-Vis, IR, NMR spectroscopy and magnetic susceptibility measurements.     

Synthesis of copper(II) complexes with 3,5-bis(4,6-dimethylpyrimidin-2-yl)-4H-1,2,4-triazol-4-amine (L). Molecular and crystal structures of L and [Cu2L2Cl4]·2MeCN

A series of copper(II) complexes, i.e. Cu₂LCl₄, CuLCl₂·H₂O and [Cu₂L₂Cl₄]·2MeCN (8), based on a new potentially polytopic ligand, 3,5-bis(4,6-dimethylpyrimidin-2-yl)-4H-1,2,4-triazol-4-amine (3b, L), have been synthesized. The crystal structures of L and [Cu₂L₂Cl₄]·2MeCN were studied by X-ray single crystal analysis. The dinuclear compound [Cu₂L₂Cl₄]·2MeCN represents the first example of structurally characterized metal complexes with 3,5-di(pyrimidin-2-yl)-4H-1,2,4-triazol-4-amines. Both copper atoms have distorted tetragonal-pyramidal 3N + 2Cl environment. Surprisingly, in contrast to the complexes based on 3,5-di(pyridin-2-yl)-4H-1,2,4-triazol-4-amine (pyridinyl analog of L), the compound [Cu₂L₂Cl₄]·2MeCN adopts a dinuclear trans-(N′,N¹,N²)₂ double bridging binding mode which is due to tridentate coordination of two L molecules linking two copper atoms through N¹,N²-triazole and N′-pyrimidine atoms. It seems to be reasonable that it is methyl groups in pyrimidinyl moiety that obstruct the expected dinuclear (N′,N¹,N²,N″)₂ double bridging coordination being one of the most common for 4-substituted 3,5-di(pyridin-2-yl)-4H-1,2,4-triazoles and 3,5-di(pyridin-2-yl)-1,2,4-triazolates. Due to π-π stacking interactions, molecules of Cu₂L₂Cl₄ in the structure of [Cu₂L₂Cl₄]·2MeCN form 1D chains.     

Larvae of related Diptera species from thermally contrasting habitats exhibit continuous up-regulation of heat shock proteins and high thermotolerance

A population of Stratiomys japonica, a species belonging to the family Stratiomyidae (Diptera), common name ‘soldier flies’, occurs in a hot volcanic spring, which is apparently among the most inhospitable environments for animals because of chemical and thermal conditions. Larvae of this species, which naturally often experience temperatures more than 40 °C, have constitutively high concentrations of the normally inducible heat-shock protein Hsp70, but very low level of corresponding mRNA. Larvae of three other species of the same family, Stratiomys singularior, Nemotelus bipunctatus and Oxycera pardalina, are confined to different type semi-aquatic habitats with contrasting thermal regime. However, all of them shared the same pattern of Hsp70 expression. Interestingly, heat-shock treatment of S. japonica larvae activates heat-shock factor and significantly induces Hsp70 synthesis, whereas larvae of O. pardalina, a species from constant cold environment, produce significantly less Hsp70 in response to heat shock. Adults of the four species also exhibit lower, but detectable levels of Hsp70 without heat shock. Larvae of all species studied have very high tolerance to temperature stress in comparison with other Diptera species investigated, probably representing an inherent adaptive feature of all Stratiomyidae enabling successful colonization of highly variable and extreme habitats.     

Molecular phylogeny of fungus gnats (Diptera: Mycetophilidae) revisited: position of Manotinae,Metanepsiini, and other enigmatic taxa as inferred from multigene analysis

The phylogeny of selected genera from four subfamilies of fungus gnats (Diptera: Mycetophilidae) – Manotinae, Leiinae, Sciophilinae and Gnoristinae (including Metanepsiini) – is reconstructed based on the combined analysis of five mitochondrial (12S, 16S, COI, COII, cytB) and two nuclear (28S, ITS2) gene markers. Results of the different analyses all support Manotinae as a monophyletic group, with Leiinae as the sister group. Allactoneura DeMeijere is nested in the monophyletic and strongly supported clade of Leiinae. The tribe Metanepsiini is revealed as paraphyletic and the genera Metanepsia Edwards and Chalastonepsia Søli do not appear to be closely related. The genera Docosia Winnertz, Ectrepesthoneura Enderlein, Novakia Strobl and Syntemna Winnertz were placed with a group of genera included traditionally in the Gnoristinae. The monophyly of Dziedzickia Johannsen and Phthinia Winnertz is not supported. The genera of Sciophilinae (excluding Paratinia Mik but including Eudicrana Loew) form a monophyletic group in the Bayesian model.     

A genomic walking method for screening sequence length polymorphism

We adapted a recently developed nonrestrictional, nonligational genome walking method, Universal Fast Walking (UFW), for detection of length polymorphism in the proximal promoter region of genes. We demonstrate its efficacy at discovering naturally occurring transposition into heat‐shock genes of wild Drosophila and show that it surmounts limitations of simple polymerase chain reaction (PCR) approaches. We further present modifications to the standard UFW protocol and provide some guidelines to improve specificity. Although the resultant banding pattern of a standard UFW can be regarded as a DNA fingerprint, many amplicons result from false priming and not real polymorphisms. We describe ways to distinguish between UFW amplicons and false priming products in a high‐throughput assay.     

Oxoselenide triangular molybdenum clusters: Synthesis and characterization of [Mo3SeO3(acac)3(py)3]PF6

New cluster complex [Mo₃SeO₃(acac)₃(py)₃]⁺ was obtained by ligand substitution in the aqua complex [Mo₃SeO₃(H₂O)₉]⁴⁺. Crystal structure was determined for [Mo₃SeO₃(acac)₃(py)₃]PF₆·C₆H₅CH₃. The complex was characterized by ⁷⁷Se NMR, electrospray mass-spectrometry, and cyclic voltammetry. DFT calculations were used to confirm the assignment of chemical shift and to study Mo-Mo bonding in the cluster core.